Travel Madness
Very early on Thursday, at Ridiculous O'clock in the morning, I will be at the airport on a flight to my old Peace Corps home, the Dominican Republic. Last time I visited was four years ago. I met my dad in Miami, and we flew there together. It was a really fun trip! The only downside was that we were supposed to fly back on September 12, 2001. We were delayed for a few days.
Perhaps it's that experience of anxiety and fear, which tainted the end of the last trip, that is now making me a bit anxious about this one. I tried to get one of my friends to come along because it just felt like it would be more of a vacation that way. I doubt I will sit on a beach and drink margaritas alone. I certainly won't climb Pico Duarte (the tallest peak in the Caribbean) without a buddy, and I don't know any Dominicans who would want to come along for that. None of my friends were able make room for the trip in their schedules, so I'm going it alone this time.
I've only planned to stay for six days. This trip is mostly to visit my Peace Corps "family" and friends in my old village. Some of their relatives live in the capital city, and it would be culturally irresponsible to neglect visiting them while I'm in the country for the first time in four years... so I'll go to their houses, too. This means riding on a bus with live pigs and chickens. That's always a blast, actually. Cultural immersion at its best.
According to the weather service, it's supposed to rain the whole time I'm there. I figure that will be okay since it will save me sunscreen. And, as I said, the purpose of going is not to sit on the beach being fanned with a palm frond by a local.
Nah... I'll be yapping with the locals about the devaluation of the peso, the current state of coffee exports, and just how I managed to get so fat. This is the Dominican version of "You look great! Have you lost weight?" It doesn't matter if your weight has actually changed at all. People are required to call you fat as a compliment when they see you.
It's my kind of place.
Anyway, anxiety aside... I'm very happy to be going back. I lived there for over two years, from 1997-1999. All of my little ones are now grown ups. Perhaps, they even have little ones of their own. I just took some time to look at my photos of my Peace Corps service. It lessens my anxiety a bit. After all, I went by myself the first time... and back then, I didn't know the language, the culture, or anyone in my village. This time, I have family.
My American Family Meets My Dominican Family
Perhaps it's that experience of anxiety and fear, which tainted the end of the last trip, that is now making me a bit anxious about this one. I tried to get one of my friends to come along because it just felt like it would be more of a vacation that way. I doubt I will sit on a beach and drink margaritas alone. I certainly won't climb Pico Duarte (the tallest peak in the Caribbean) without a buddy, and I don't know any Dominicans who would want to come along for that. None of my friends were able make room for the trip in their schedules, so I'm going it alone this time.
I've only planned to stay for six days. This trip is mostly to visit my Peace Corps "family" and friends in my old village. Some of their relatives live in the capital city, and it would be culturally irresponsible to neglect visiting them while I'm in the country for the first time in four years... so I'll go to their houses, too. This means riding on a bus with live pigs and chickens. That's always a blast, actually. Cultural immersion at its best.
According to the weather service, it's supposed to rain the whole time I'm there. I figure that will be okay since it will save me sunscreen. And, as I said, the purpose of going is not to sit on the beach being fanned with a palm frond by a local.
Nah... I'll be yapping with the locals about the devaluation of the peso, the current state of coffee exports, and just how I managed to get so fat. This is the Dominican version of "You look great! Have you lost weight?" It doesn't matter if your weight has actually changed at all. People are required to call you fat as a compliment when they see you.
It's my kind of place.
Anyway, anxiety aside... I'm very happy to be going back. I lived there for over two years, from 1997-1999. All of my little ones are now grown ups. Perhaps, they even have little ones of their own. I just took some time to look at my photos of my Peace Corps service. It lessens my anxiety a bit. After all, I went by myself the first time... and back then, I didn't know the language, the culture, or anyone in my village. This time, I have family.
My American Family Meets My Dominican Family
posted by Bert at 10:03 PM
1 Comments:
Have a great trip! If only I weren't such a really excellent mother I would totally be there with you.
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